Saturday, April 16, 2016

Zoo, Season 1, Episode 6: This Is What It Sounds Like

Picking up where we left off, the Brazilian government
decides that poisoning Rio is a great idea. No, really. Not only do they do
that but it doesn’t even work

That leaves Chloe and Mitch desperately cobbling together
some reason why the gang members shouldn’t kill them on general principles –
eventually bullshitting enough to create a bat repelling device that actually
works. Yes, Mitch achieves what the Brazillian government couldn’t figure out
using $20 of used computer equipment. No matter how smart he is, that’s pretty
demeaning. So poisoned Rio is technically saved…

Of course gang member wouldn’t let them go because of the
device – but he does because Abraham rides to the rescue and unleashes 8 kinds
of holy hell in on the gang and the boss until Chloe and Mitch are released. In
addition to kicking every arse every, Abraham also brings the line:

“The man you are is not worth the man I would have to be
to kill you.”

Again, I’m not entirely thrilled with the role Abraham is
occupying in the group, but at least he is epically skilled within that role.

While locked up Chloe and Mitch get to talk all about his feelings for his
terminally ill daughter and partly why that makes him so negative and cynical
(there also seems to be an academic kafuffle caused by his ego running ahead of
him: teaching him not to get too confident in his abilities). I’m not sure
about this storyline, yes it’s humanising but the world may actually be ending

In the US, Jackson, Jamie and Shaffer do some
reconstruction to catch up with Evan and the Mother Cell he stole (which, by
the way, has been confirmed as being in ALL THE THINGS). Evan is visiting an
optician desperately trying to reverse his Defiant Pupil (yes, he has one),
going through incredible pain to have part of his eye ripped out, messed with
the mother cell and then put back… it’s unpleasant and doesn’t do anything
other than kill him. But not before he confirms that the reason why he went all
pro-animal/kill humans was because Richard Oz, Jacksons’ father, did some very
unethical experimenting on him.

I wonder if the twist will be that the good doctor
actually caused all this chaos? That’d be interesting and have Jackson doing a
complete turn around

Speaking of twists – it turns out there is a reason for FBI Agent Shaffer
tolerating their presence: because he’s not FBI Agent Shaffer, he’s paid of
Reiden (presumably) Mole Shaffer and he wants to run off with the Mother Cell. A
Plan that almost works as Jamie can’t lie very well and Jackson can’t out fight
him… but Jamie gets her hands on his gun and doesn’t even hesitate to shoot
him. Repeatedly

I admit, I did not see that coming. I think it’s
especially interesting next to Abraham’s studied resistance to killing – his quiet,
calm, controlled refusal to kill and still getting everything done without
killing. Then we have Jamie, spur of the moment, not a second’s hesitation,
pulling the trigger without many other options… it’s an interesting
juxtaposition. Is it moral difference? Control? Calmness? Confidence?

There’s also a bear in Paris which doesn’t eat anyone but
hibernates in the middle of summer… for reasons?